Kashmir carpeted white

Govt Shuts Highway, Warns Of Avalanches Near LoC

MUDDASIR ALI

Srinagar, Jan 17: A fresh snowfall hit Kashmir Valley on Thursday, prompting authorities to close the Srinagar-Jammu highway even as the weatherman predicted the conditions would continue till Friday evening.While the snowfall which intensified by evening brought relief to Valleyites from intense cold, it prompted State Government to issue avalanche warning in areas close to the Line of Control and in far flung areas of north Kashmir.“It is snowing almost all across the Valley,” said Director of local Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus. “The snowfall and rains will continue till Friday morning and improvement in weather is expected only by evening.”Intermittent rainfall dotted the summer capital here from early afternoon but it started snowing by evening. The thick snowflakes had already blanketed far off places from north to south Kashmir.The places along the Srinagar-Jammu highway including the gateway to Kashmir- Qazigund- Banihal and Ramban received rain and snowfall during the day. But the snowfall intensified late afternoon. The situation was alike in districts like Budgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara and Baramulla.The change in weather came as a good omen for the tourism industry as hill resorts like Gulmarg in north Kashmir and Pahalgam in south of the Valley welcome the much-awaited change in weather.While the inclement weather resulted in further dip in the day temperature, the nights in the Valley would witness a reverse effect in temperature, said a weather official.

HIGHWAY CLOSED:In the wake of the inclement weather the highway was closed for traffic after 4 p.m. today, an official at the Traffic Control Room here said.“No vehicular movement will be allowed on the highway on Friday also,” said an official.Early during the day stranded vehicles on way to Srinagar from Jammu were cleared on the 300-km highway.However, the air traffic plied normally to and from Kashmir and its schedule would be subject to weather conditions on Friday, officials said.

AVALANCHE WARNING:The state administration issued an avalanche warning in far flung areas of north Kashmir in the wake of the heavy snowfall there.Medium danger avalanche warning has been issued by Divisional Disaster Management Authority on the basis of information from Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE).People living in snow bound areas of Naugam, Chowkibal, Machil, Tangdhar, Keran and Gurez were warned not to venture in steep avalanche prone slopes during the next two days.

POWER SUPPLY GOES OFFIn the wake of heavy snowfall, power supply in many areas of Kashmir, including those in the summer capital, went off. Reports pouring in from different districts of the Valley said the power supply remained erratic soon after the snowfall started. The situation was no different in dozens of Srinagar areas which reeled under darkness.

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